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Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing

Vultan Tin, the seemingly indefatigable and indestructible ten-year-old, had his driver Mitch Miller searching for superlatives to describe his marvellous performance in finishing a half-head second to Double Up in a 2130m Free-For-All last Friday night.

And now Miller is looking for another powerful display from the veteran WA-bred millionaire pacer in the $30,000 Hoist Torque Australia Pace over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Vultan Tin started from the outside barrier (No. 9) when he raced three wide early and then in the breeze outside the speedy pacemaker Born To Boogie before getting to a narrow lead in the late stages and being overhauled in the final stride by Double Up.

“He has obviously put in a performance like last week’s run a hundred times before, and I grew a whole new appreciation of him,” said Miller.

“I said to Daniel (trainer Dan Costello) that Vultan Tin felt like he was all out with a lap to go, but every time a horse came near him, he just found another gear. He blew me away … to only go down by a nostril to a horse who got a freakish sort of run. He was enormous.

“This week I’ll speak to Daniel regarding tactics. It might be a race in which we might drive him a bit quieter and see how he gets home.” Vultan Tin, who will again start from the No. 9 barrier, is in tremendous form, with his three starts before last Friday night’s second placing producing victories in the group 2 Governor’s Cup and the group 3 Narrogin Cup, and a close second to Mighty Ronaldo in the group 2 Bunbury Cup.

In what appears to be an open race, one of Vultan Tin’s rivals is nine-year-old Fanci A Dance, who will be driven by Chris Voak from the coveted No. 1 barrier. The Barry Howlett-trained Fanci A Dance is a smart frontrunner who could take plenty of catching at his third appearance after a spell. His fifth in the Bunbury Cup and fourth in the Narrogin Cup were sound efforts.

Texas Tiger, a lightly-raced five-year-old to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr from barrier six, will be having his second start in his current campaign. He resumed after a five-and-a-half-month absence when he broke after the start, raced at the rear and finished last behind Vultan Tin in the Governor’s Cup five weeks ago.

“He has as much ability as any horse in the race, but he is his own worst enemy,” said trainer Gary Hall Snr. “He pulls and knocks himself around. But I’m starting to get on top of him. I was hoping he would draw to lead because if he was able to lead, he would be hard to beat. From barrier six I’m not sure where he is going to end up.”